
t 



4 



f 










1 




« 







9 

• 0 






% 

g 


I 


/ 


John Crow 



A NOVEL 




Founded on Facts 


BY 

/' 

JOHN W. RYDER. 


The Experience of One with whose Life the 
Author is Intimately Acquainted. 


YORK, PA. ; 

P. ANSTADT t SOX8, 
1900. 


/Vl 




TWO COPIES RECEIVED. 

Library of Cengrtf% 
Office of tho 

MAR 8 -1900 

Register of Cepyrightfc 








55975 


Copyright, 1900, by 
JOHN W. RYDEK. 


SeCJND UOPY, 

'?) U o S' 

"T'fcA; ‘5> . o p . 


CONTENTS. 


Birth and School Boy 5 

Religious Training 13 

He Begins the Christian Life 23 

John Goes to Wittenberg College ... 30 

John, as a Christian Worker 43 

John’s Friends, Frank and Quincy ... 50 

John and the Orators 62 

John Crow’s Experiences 76 

John Crow and the Children 87 

Smiles and Tears 96 

John Crow, and the Newspapers .... log 
Mr Crow as a Revivalist 125 


1 


V 


4 



I 


^■7 

^ I 


% 



f \ 

•?; /■ 







L V 




y 


0 • 




> I 
I 


^ » 

4 ^ 

t ' 






A 





t 


t 



. V 





I 


4t: ii T } * "(U . t 


• 7' • 


» 

«:‘3,^r*'t>!V*. 


• « 


.*< 


» 

• • 


*• ^ 


.*♦ 


u« 


. i' 

-,-ir i« 

Vi'i; . 



( 


r 



CHAPTER I. 


Birth and School Boy. 

“ There is a nigger baby at our 
house,” was the language of a small 
boy as he spoke to Sam Slick. The 
curiosity of the neighbors was aroused. 
They came to see for themselves. 
The parents had to explain. The 
new little John Crow was only a 
shade darker than the other five 
children of the family. But his nurse 
had succeeded in making his older 
brother Joe believe that John was a 
nigger. And yet why should it be 
thought such a terrible disgrace to 
have a dark skin ? Is it not because 


5 


6 


John Crow. 


the Negroes have been held in slav- 
ery and ignorance ? As they rise in 
the scale of intelligence and Chris- 
tian character they will be considered 
more beautiful. It was so with Mrs. 
Stowe’s Uncle Tom. There is a very 
close connection between the true, 
the beautiful, and the good. We be- 
lieve that heaven is full of people of 
wondrous beauty. 

When John Crow was born the 
laws of health were not known to 
any great extent. His parents in 
their youth had a very limited chance 
of gaining an education. His mother 
had gone to school only three months. 
It was work, work, work, from morn- 
ing till night. The eating of large 


Birth and School Boy. 


7 


quantities of fat pork was thought 
essential for keeping up strength to 
work. But the result for little John 
Crow was a terrible affliction of boils. 
From the crown of his head to the 
soles of his feet he was covered with 
boils. The milk he imbibed from his 
mother filled his body with impure 
blood. But with all his boils, he 
seemed to be a closer relation to Job 
than to his own mother. His terrific 
screams made his nurse believe 
his body was pierced with a thou- 
sand needles. Every stitch of cloth- 
ing would be taken from him and 
still the yells continued. No won- 
der Job wrote, “ My clothes abhor 
me.” But John, like other babies 


8 


John Crow. 


who have had them, got over his boils. 

The hero of our story started to 
school when he was only five years 
old. It was with a great deal of 
pompous pride that he let his teacher 
know he could say his A B C’s. And 
best of all he could say them just as 
well off the book as on the book. 
Now and then his teacher would 
give him a slice of apple to encour- 
age his industry and keep him from 
playing tricks. He pitied the other 
boys who didn’t get any, but the slice 
was too small to divide It seemed 
as if he could hardly keep his eyes 
from bulging out with delight. 

There come times in school, when 
an irresistible impulse takes full pos- 


Birth and School Boy. 


9 


session of the scholars to play tricks. 
From the start, John was an expert 
at the trick business. His little body 
was so chock-full of life that he just 
couldn’t keep from throwing paper 
balls at the girls. As these missives 
would fly from his nimble fingers it 
would now and then result in a 
scream from the one who was hit. 
And although the teacher’s back was 
turned, she would at once put the 
blame upon John. She tried to con- 
sole him by telling him she had an 
eye in the back of her head. John 
was sure she lied about it, but took 
his whipping like a little man. 

There was no study at school in 
which John Crow found any greater 


lo John Crow. 

pleasure than in declaiming. He 
sent the orator’s thrill through his 
audience in his first declamation, the 
words of which were these: 

“You would scarce expect one of my age, 
To speak in public on the stage. 

But if I chance to fall below 
Demosthenes or Cicero, 

Don’t view me with a critic’s eye. 

But pass my imperfections by.” 

Thousands of boys have been 
started in their oratorical career with 
these lines. Scattered all over this 
country in the little red school houses 
we find the embryo Clays and Web- 
sters. As they speak their pieces 
with great fear and trembling, they 
need thorough instruction and strong 


Birth and Schoot Boy. 


encouragement. The benefit to mind 
and soul, of such a drill, cannot be 
told in words. Another declamation 
with which little John Crow strove to 
make himself famous, was one be- 
ginning with these words : 

“The boy stood on the burning deck, 
Whence all but him had fled. 

The flame that lit the battle’s wreck, 
Shone round him o’er the dead. ’’ 

Many a school boy has felt a thrill 
of awe run through his soul as he 
listened to this patriotic poem. This 
noble boy would rather perish than 
disobey his father. Who can tell how 
much this poem had to do in forming 
the conscience and character of John 


12 


John Crow. 


Crow ? It must be said to his credit 
that in selecting 'declamations, he 
made it a rule to choose those that 
were of an elevating character. As 
the years go by, often the occasion 
comes up when good can be done 
by quoting what had been memor- 
ized in the days of boyhood. The 
hero of this story was right, when he 
said : “ The school teachers who 
gave the proper encouragement to 
declaiming, deserved about twice as 
much pay as those who took no in- 
terest in it at all. ” 


CHAPTER II. 


RELIGIOUS TRAINING. 

In giving a faithful record of the 
early years of John Crow, we dare 
not overlook his religious training. 
The piety of his father was of a very 
quiet kind. It was’his custom as the 
family gathered around the table at 
each meal to require all to fold their 
hands whilst he would offer a silent 
prayer. With his eyes closed and 
his lips moving, the look on his face- 
was enough to convince any one that 
he was sincere. When he read his 
Bible a holy awe seemed to settle 


13 


14 


John Crow. 


upon him. For his family, he pro- 
vided a large religious weekly paper 
of the pietistic type. But it is in 
John Crow’s mother that we find the 
practical piety which made the deep- 
est impression on his mind. It was 
her custom to teach her children to 
pray almost as soon as they could 
talk. Evening after evening would 
she persuade her little ones to say 
this prayer : 

“ Now I lay me down to sleep. 

I pray the Lord my soul to keep. 

If I should die before I wake, 

I pray the Lord my soul to take. 

And this I ask for Jesus sake. ” 

Doesa child ever forget that prayer? 
Old men tell it with pride that they 


Reugious Training. 


15 


were taught it at mother’s knee. As 
the years go by, it is sweet to close 
the eyes in slumber with those words 
soothing the tired body to sleep. At 
an early age John Crow was sent to 
Sunday school In the summer time 
he would trudge barefooted for three 
miles through the hot sun to be in his 
class in the little town of Vandalia. 
What a lesson to the boys of this day 
who find the work too hard even to 
ride in an easy carriage a shorter dis- 
tance over good roads. Forty years 
ago there was more enthusiasm for 
Sunday schools than there is to-day. 
John Crow’s teacher was an aged 
Christian man. One day he said to 
the class : “ I want you all during 


i6 John Crow. 

the week, to find an answer in the 
Bible to this question : ‘ What is the 
whole duty of man?’ ” John was not 
familiar with the use of the Concord- 
ance, and although he hunted ear- 
nestly, yet the week passed by, with 
no answer for his teacher’s question. 
The next Sunday the entire class re- 
ported, ‘‘ No answer found. ” Then 
the faithful teacher requested them to 
read in concert, Ecclesiastes, xii 13, 
“ Let us hear the conclusion of the 
whole matter ; fear God and keep 
His Commandments, for this is the 
whole duty of man. ” 

On his way to Sunday school John 
Crow passed a persimmon tree. The 
luscious fruit was a terrible tempta- 


Rewgious Training. 


17 


tion to the boy. After the frost had 
made those persimmons mellow and 
mushy, John had to almost shut his 
eyes as he passed that tree. Many a 
boy has met his Waterloo as he fought 
a ravenous appetite for persimmons 
and watermelons. No wonder that > 
a little fellow put this question to his 
Sunday school teacher, “ What kind 
of a little boy was you when you was 
little ? ” A watermelon patch in the 
center of a village is almost too much 
for a boy’s honest appetite. Out of 
the depths there comes a fearful strug- 
gle for honesty. As John’s father 
would chase the boys out of his 
watermelon patch, the boy would 
say to himself : “ What are those 


x8 


John Crow. 


melons for anyhow, if not for to eat ? ’’ 
Then there was the sugar camp, 
with all its temptations to make the 
molasses into taffy. John Crow’s ap- 
petite for taffy was something really 
marvelous. But the boy thought to 
himself, ‘‘ Well, what is the difference 
whether I eat the sweetness in the 
form of sugar, molasses or taffy ” 
Many and many a bucketful of sugar 
water did John carry into camp to 
be boiled into molasses. Sometimes 
he would trudge half a mile with two 
large bucketsfullinto camp. Improved 
methods of gathering the sap have 
taken the place of the old slavish way 
of carrying it. But those immense 
sugar camps of forty years ago, in 


Reiwgious Training. 


19 


the Miami Valley, have nearly all 
passed away. I wish I could find 
language to describe their marvel- 
ous beauty and usefulness. The sugar 
tree is the most handsome fellow of 
the forest. Look at him as he stands 
there a model of symmetry in shape. 
He is the first child of the forest to 
push forth his leaves of rich green. 
The early spring birds choose him as 
a special favorite in which to sing 
their songs of gladness. We listen 
to God’s orchestra of the forest, na- 
ture’s temple for the birds. Oh how 
I wish I could turn back the tide of 
time for forty years and picture to 
you a thrifty sugar camp as it was 
then on almost every farm in the 


20 


John Crow. 


Miami Valley. The boj > and girls 
of that day made the woods ring 
with their shouts of revelry and rol- 
licking fun. As they would slap the 
taffy on each others’ faces it seemed 
as if the very heart would jump into 
the mouth with the scream that was 
uttered. Then, too, the hen roosts 
had to suffer fearfully. And yet with 
all John Crow’s love of mischief, I 
don’t remember that he ever brought 
a chicken or rooster into camp after 
night. But it may be that he was 
willing to pick the feathers off, after 
the others had stolen the poultry. 
At such jolly jubilees John would 
keep the crowd in a continual roar. 
Sometimes they would yell, oeech. 


REI.IGIOUS Training. 


21 


speech, sp.^^ech, ” until he would favor 
them with a declamation. He had 
one that would always make the 
woods ring with cheers. It was 

Hans Breitman’s Party. ” The first 
lines of this declamation were as fol* 
lows : 

“ Hans Breitman gafe von party, 

I vent dare I’ll pe bound. 

Und I danced mit Matilda Visecup, 

Und vent sphinnin’ round and round.” 

But it was the last lines that gen- 
erally brought the screams of laugh- 
ter. These were the words : 

“ Vare ish dot party now ? 

All goned away, mit de lager peer, 
Avay in de eveighkeit. ” 

As John Crow could not talk any- 
thing^^se but the Pennsylvania Dutch 


22 


John Crow. 


the first few years of his life, this 
Dutch poem suited him to perfection. 
Sometimes at these sugar camp jolli- 
fications, he would speak “ Spartacus 
to the Gladiators. ” But it was at the 
‘‘ School Exhibitions, ” that John al- 
ways strove to make himself famous. 
When volunteer declaimers were 
called for, he would always be the 
first one to respond, for he always 
held a declamation at the end of his 
tongue. Then, too, he would often 
take a part in dialogues. He had 
one in which he was the small boy, 
begging for his mother to give him 
a piece of cake. .The whining, and 
twisting of face, and getting down on 
his knees, before he got that piece of 
cake, would always bring the house 
down, as he was eating the cake. 


CHAPTER III. 


HE BEGINS THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 

When a human being begins the 
Christian life, the very angels shout 
for joy. With John Crow, it was 
the most important event in his his- 
tory. In his early boyhood, deep re- 
ligious impressions were made by the 
life and words of his pious mother. 
Also the sermons of Rev. A. S. Link 
took hold of his very soul. Under 
the preaching of this man, John felt 
the burden of sin resting on him like 
a mighty mountain. One peculiarity 
of his case was, he felt sure he should 
die before a year would pass away. 

23 


24 


John Crow. 


I cannot find words to describe the 
deep struggle of that year. The 
devil made John believe he ought to 
keep his dreadful distress of soul all 
to himself. Day after day dragged 
along with doleful despair. Night 
after night would bring dreams of 
death. It seemed to him as if the 
very heavens were brass above him. 
The most terrible torment would 
come to him when he would dream 
that he was sinking into hell. As 
his soul would touch the unquench- 
able fire, he would suddenly awake, 
and find great drops of sweat stand- 
ing on his forehead. Then would 
he exclaim with gladness, “Thank 
God, this is only a dream. ” 


He Begins the Christian Life. 


25 


But there came a day when such 
dreams were forever ended. It was 
a day of marvelous gladness. It 
was a day when the very heavens 
and the earth were filled with the 
sweetest and brightest sunshine. It 
is doubtful whether anyone ever had 
more convincing evidence of his con- 
version than the boy, John Crow. 
Suddenly there came a flood of spir- 
itual joy that was overwhelming. It 
was summer time, and a halo of glory 
seemed to rest on every green tree. 
Over and over again John would sing : 

“Oh how happy are they, 

Who their Savior obey, 

And have laid up their treasures above. 
Tongue cannot express 


26 


John Crow. 


The sweet comfort and peace, 

Of a soul in its earliest love. 

That sweet comfort was mine 
When the favor divine 
I first found in the blood of the Lamb. 
And I could not believe 
That I ever should grieve 
That I ever should suffer again. 

In a chariot of fire, 

I rose higher and higher, 

All sin and temptation below. ” 

John Crow began his Christian life 
with a soul flooded with happiness. 
The words that expressed his feel- 
ings most fully were : “ Rejoice, re- 
joice, again I say unto you, rejoice ! ” 
The strongest argument in favor of 
the Christian* religion is the supreme 
happiness which it brings. Was it 


He Begins the Christian Life. 


27 


not so when the 3000 converts of the 
Day of Pentecost went from house 
to house eating their meat in glad- 
ness, praising God and having favor 
with all the people ? What right 
has anyone who calls himself a Chris- 
tian to go up and down this beauti- 
ful earth with a face indicating that 
he had swallowed a tombstone? It 
is much easier to win souls for the 
kingdom of God with a smile than 
with a growl. Oh, I wish that this 
gospel of gladness would take full 
possession of all the people. 

In the life of John Crow conver- 
sion meant a wonderful change from 
sadness to gladness. A common re- 
mark was : “ What a happy boy 


28 


John Crow, 


John has become here of late ! ’’ 
But the Christian life means work as 
well as joy. It means the persuad- 
ing of others to press into God’s 
kingdom. It means that we shall fill 
our crown with many stars, each one 
of which represents a soul brought 
to Christ. So we find John Crow, the 
Christian, taking a public part in 
prayer. We find him talking to his 
companions about the great things of 
God, and of the soul, and of eternity. 
He would publicly exhort sinners to 
flee at once from sin, and place their 
feet upon the rock foundation of 
Christianity. He began using his 
voice as God intended it should be 
used. That voice was naturally one 


He Begins the Christian Life. 


29 


of great power. A classmate said 
to him one day, “I wouldgive almost 
anything in the world if I had as 
good a voice as you have. ” But 
back of a good voice there must be 
a soul filled with a burning ambition 
for God’s glory. 


CHAPTER IV. 


JOHN GOES TO WITTENBERG COLLEGE. 

It is a great day in a boy’s life 
when he leaves the old home and 
starts to college. It was especially so 
with John Crow. He had never been 
away from home more than a few 
days at a time. His reason for go- 
ing to college was a desire to qualify 
himself for the Christian ministry. 
He had strong and deep convictions 
that God wanted to use him to ex- 
tend His kingdom in this way. And 
his convictions were just as strong 
that a man had no business to enter 


30 


John Goes to Wittenberg Coeeege. 31 

the ministry without a thorough edu- 
cation. He took God’s word as his 
guide in its teaching on this subject. 

I He realized that if a man entered the 
ministry without an education, he did 
so at the peril of being destroyed. 
Does not God tell us in Hosea, iv. 6, 
“ My people are destroyed for lack 
of knowledge ; because thou hast re- 
jected knowledge, I will reject thee, 
and thou shalt no longer be a priest 
unto me. ” Also Paul tells the min- 
ister to study, so that he can be a 
workman who does not need to be 
ashamed ; study, so that he can 
rightly divide the word of truth The 
work of winning souls for Christ is 
one of such stupendous importance 


32 


John Crow. 


that it requires an educated man, 
who, like Paul, is able to be all things 
to all men in order that he may be 
successful. Shortly after John Crow 
reached Wittenberg College he joined 
the Excelsior Literary Society. In 
this society he found a field of im- 
mense enjoyment. Half a day of each 
week was occupied in the exercises 
of this society. Then on extra oc- 
casions John was generally called on 
to give one of his humorous decla- 
mations. He had one which he called 
the “Buqkumbe Speech,” that always 
made his audiences roar. I will quote 
a few sentences of it. 

“ Mr. President, There seems to 
be a disposition here to fight. Now, 


John Goes to Wittenberg Coeeege. 33 

if there is any fighting to be done, 
come on with your corn cobs and 
lightning bugs. The fact is, we have 
had a little bit of black jack bun- 
combe, a little bit of two bit bun- 
combe, and the old scratch and his 
imps only know what other kinds of 
buncombe we have had. Why, sir, 
Mr. President, if you only give these 
gentlemen a little Southern soap, and 
a little Northern water, they will 
make enough buncombe lather to 
wash the people of the United States. 
I appeal to the eagle of my country. 
‘ Oh, thou proud bird of freedom, if 
they chase you from the snowy hem- 
lock of the North down to the sunny 
palmetto of the South, come over to 


34 


John Crow. 


the gum tree of the West, and we 
will protect your proud birdship as 
long as grass runs and water grows.’ ” 
The comical expression that would 
come over John’s lace as he would 
deliver this harangue told more than 
the words. Then he would some- 
times recite a eulogy on Tom Mar- 
shall, the orator, that for its thrilling 
eloquence brought peal upon peal of 
applause. In describing Marshall, he 
said : “ He had eloquence of the loft- 
iest and the noblest; he had pathos 
of the deepest and the sweetest, he 
had sarcasm of the keenest and the 
severest, he had wit of the purest and 
the brightest. But Tom Marshall 
was the slave of strong drink. He 


John Goes to Wittenberg Coeeege. 35 

drank to drown sorrow, and at last 
drank enough to drown himself. 
When he was under the influence 
of liquor, at times he would soar like 
an eagle, then again he would floun- 
der in the puddle. The biographers 
of Oliver Goldsmith wrote, ‘ Alas, 
poor Goldsmith.’ So those who in 
after years will stand by the grave of 
Marshall will write : ‘Alas, poor 
Marshall.” ’ 

John Crow was a born foe to the 
liquor traffic. It was during his col- 
lege course that the women started 
their crusade of prayer against the 
liquor traffic. At Springfield, Ohio, 
where John was now attending col- 
lege, the “ Crusade against the Black 


36 


John Crow. 


Bottle, was raging with the most 
intense fierceness. This was the 
home of Mother Stewart, the great 
leader in that fierce war. As her 
clear voice in clarion tones sounded 
the thrilling battle cry, the hosts of 
temperance gathered at her call. 
Through the slush and snow they 
waded into the saloons. With prayer 
and song, and pathetic appeal they 
closed six hundred of those holes of 
hell in Ohio in one year. It was a 
glorious work for God. As they 
knelt in those filthy saloons, their 
very knee prints were considered 
sacred by Christian people, and the 
angels of God. I firmly believe if 
the Christian women of the world 


John Goes to Wittenberg Coeeege. 3^ 
would pursue the same course for 
five years in succession, they could 
close every saloon on the earth. John 
Crow took an active part in the cru- 
sade of prayer for the utter annihila- 
tion of the saloon He worked to 
the utmost of his strength that all the 
distilleries and breweries and saloons 
and all the drinks which- intoxicate 
might be destroyed. I will close this 
chapter by giving a poem describing 
the ruin wrought by the rum fiend. 
It is the plea of a woman whose hus- 
band had died that most dreadful of 
deaths, a drunkard’s death. She 
comes to a lawyer to persuade him 
to sue the saloon keeper who had 


38 


John Crow. 


sold the liquor to her husband. She- 
says : 

“ Now lawyer, you’ll have to be patient with 
me, 

For I never went to law before. 

And it makes me nervous you see. 

And it does not seem in a woman’s place. 
And many a time I’ve said 
That nothing would ever take me to law. 
I’d suffer wrong instead. 

Not for myself do I come here now, 

I could suffer on alone ; 

But I come for my fatherless children. 
Helpless and starving at home. 

Starving because their father, 

For liquor sold his life ; 

Thank God for the Adair liquor law, 

The friend of the drunkard’s wife. 


John Goes to Wittenberg Coeeege. 39 

Little by little the demon crept 
Into this home of ours. 

Oh, Sir, on your knees thank God, 

If you have never felt its powers. 

If you have never been drawn 
As if by a fatal spell,. 

Until day after day. 

And night after night. 

Were spent in a drinking hell. 

I cannot tell my anguish. 

As those days and nights pass by. 

But I know it is the hardest part of life. 
To see one’s husband die. 

But Oh, to see him die a drunkard’s death. 
All other deaths seem light. 

I wish a few of our saloon keepers 
Could have stood by him that night. 

These terrible last few years 
Seem just like a dream to me. 


40 


John Crow. 


And I sometimes think I’ll wake 
And find my home as it used to be ; 
My husband happy and loving, 

My children merry and bright. 

And now, Oh, what is the use of law 
If our wrongs it does not right. 

Men in the best of society. 

Who blocks of property own, 

Who once had hearts of flesh. 

Which rum has turned to stone. 

Men who own their pews in church. 
Perhaps if they could be 
At one of the death’s they help to make. 
Their eyes would open and see. 

Men who roll in money 

From the rents which they receive 
Taken from starving families. 

Oh, Sir, I verily believe. 

That God in His righteous judgment. 


John Goes to Wittenberg Coeeege. 41 


Hating oppression and wrong, 

Will one of these days release us, 

Release us from this bondage borne so 
long. 

And today 'n the name of my children. 
Who are starving, I come to you. 

That you may sue for the money 
That to them is justly due. 

I come in the name of a ruined home. 
Which money can ne’er restore. 

I come in a murdered husband’s name ; 
Oh, what can I say more. 

I come in the name of a righteous God, 
From whom there is no appeal. 

I come in the name of a broken heart. 
Which money can never heal. 

In the name of all that was dear in life. 
Bitter though I may be. 

Sue these saloon keepers 

For the thousands they owe me. 


42 


John Crow 


I know that some of our rich men, 

Think this law is wrong, 

And are trying to have it modified. 

And plenty will help them along. 
What to them is a drunkard’s life ? 

If his money has helped to pay the rents. 
Which they and their families spend in 
pleasure every day. 

Now, lawyer. I’ve told you my story. 
Please do the best you can to win; 

And I’ll pay you all the same. 

Even if you lose, after doing your best 
to win. 

In my little children’s name. ” 

This poem ought to be spoken by 
good declaimers in every school 
house and church on the fearth. It 
ought to be spoken in every college 
and literary society by the best 
speakers. It ought to be memorized 
by every reader of John Crow. 


CHAPTER V. 


JOHN, AS A CHRISTIAN WORKER. 

The religion of John Crow was of 
the pietistic type. He had strong 
faith in a live prayer-meeting. His 
conversion had been largely brought 
about by hearing fervent prayers. 
Many a time, as he would listen to 
the heart-melting prayers of his 
Christian mother, his tears would roll 
down his cheeks like big drops of 
rain. After he had given his heart 
to God, he made it a rule to take an 
active part in prayer-meetings. It 
always worried him to see time go 
to waste in such a meeting. In the 


43 


44 John Crow. 

community where he spent the 
greater part of his life until he was 
nearly thirty years old, it was the 
custom of the Christian people to 
meet at each other’s houses for 
prayer. 

For many years, on Thursday 
evening of each week, this prayer- 
meeting was well attended. 

It was a common occurrence for 
people to be converted in this meet- 
ing. I very much fear that during 
the weeks that I have been writing 
this story there have been no con- 
versions at this weekly prayer-meet- 
ing. In fact I have been told that 
for several years past the spiritual 
enthusiasm had run down so low. 


John, as a Christian Worker. 


45 


that the week-day prayer- meeting 
has been abandoned. But when 
John Crow’s spiritual life began, the 
revival system prevailed so exten- 
sively in nearly all of the churches of 
the Miami Valley, that it was a 
very easy matter to keep up a pray- 
er-meeting. As a young Christian, 
John took an active part in revival 
meetings. It was in one of these 
meetings that his sister Emma, then 
only twelve years old, was con- 
verted. It was a remarkable con- 
version. The principal means that 
God used to bring this girl into the 
Christian life was a severe siege of 
typhoid fever. Realizing that she 
was unprepared to go through the 


46 John Crow. 

gates of death, she sent for her 
brother David, who was at college 
studying for the ministry, to come 
and pray with her. The doctor said 
she would die. But John had more 
faith in prayer than in medicine. 
The two brothers prevailed in prayer 
with God until He spared the life of 
their sister. David prayed by her 
bedside. John plead with the Al- 
mighty One in secret until she was 
taken out of the very jaws of death 
Shortly after this, David wrote a let- 
ter to her from college, in which he 
said, “ Emma, as God has been so 
good to you in sparing your life, 
don’t you think you ought to be a 
Christian ?” That was the dart 


John, as a Christian Worker 


47 


which the Holy Spirit used for send- 
ing conviction into the girl’s heart 
until smiles took the place of sorrow, 
and tears were exchanged for joy. 

During a revival meeting con- 
ducted by Revs Link and Sinsa- 
baugh, she made a public profession. 
One evening she came to the altar of 
prayer, where there was very earnest 
pleading that God would speedily 
send the joy of salvation. When 
she returned home, she said, ‘‘John, 
I feel that I am a sinner. Won’t 
you pray for me ?” The old family 
Bible was lying on the table. John 
turned to the fifty-first Psalm and 
read, “ Create within me a new 
heart, Oh God, and renew' a right 


48 


John Crow. 


spirit within me. Take not thy 
Holy Spirit from me ; then will I 
teach transgressors Thy ways and 
sinners shall be converted unto 
Thee.” 

The next evening, shortly after she 
came to the altar, she said to her 
pastor, “ I feel so happy, won’t you 
let me sing a song Then with a 
voice full of the deepest, sweetest 
pathos she sang these words : 

“ I want to be an angel, 

And with the angels stand, 

A crown upon my forhead, 

A harp within my hand. 

There right before my Savior, 

So glorious and so bright, 

Fd make the sweetest music. 

And praise him day and night. 

I know I am weak and sinful. 


John, as a Christian Worker. 


49 


But Jesus will forgive; 

For many little children 

Have gone to Heaven to live. 

Dear Savior, when I languish, 

And lay me down to die. 

Oh send a shining angel. 

To bear me to the sky.” 

During the singing of this touch- 
ing song it seemed as if each one of 
that immense audience realized the 
presence of the Heavenly host, as 
did the shepherds when they were 
listening to the singing of these 
words, “ Behold I bring you glad 
tidings of great joy, which shall be 
to ' all people ; peace upon earth, 
good will among men.” 

During this revival, John’s brother 
Jacob and a great many others 
pressed into the kingdom of God 


CHAPTER VJ. 


John’s friends, frank and 

QUINCY. 

Sometimes there springs up be- 
tween neighbors’ boys an intimate 
friendship that is as true as solid 
steel. Yea, like links of shining 
gold do we find the ties that bind to- 
gether Frank Willis and John Crow 
and Quincy Conover. Within a cir- 
cle of less than a mile in diameter 
were the homes of the three. They 
belonged to the same school district. 
Quincy and John were especially 
fond of playing tricks on each other, 
and on the other scholars One day 


50 


John’s Friends, Frank and Quincv. 51 

John, and in fact the whole school, 
was boiling over with fun. Sud- 
denly John dipped his pen into a 
b -ttle full of ink. Quincy, who was 
in the seat in front of him, was 
deeply absorbed in the study of a 
puzzling problem. Like a clap of 
thunder from a clear sky, came a 
loud Indian yell of “ a-u-c-h,” from 
Quincy; John had held his pen full of 
ink close to the ear of his friend, and 
with a nudge got him to look 
around. But instead of daubing the 
ink over Quincy’s face, the pen 
stuck fast in his nose. Although 
there was a roaring laugh from the 
whole school, it proved a serious af- 
fair for John He had to take the 


52 


John Crow. 


inevitable whipping. The trick was 
too self-evident for him to put it on 
any other boy. To this day he is 
sorry that he imposed on his friend, 
and sorry also that he had to take 
the whipping. 

In the different studies at school 
there was a strong rivalry between 
John Crow and Quincy Conover and 
Frank Willis. Frank was the best 
declaimer, Quincy was the best 
mathematician, and John was the 
best speller. 

In a book called, The Hoosier 
School Master,’’ there is a character 
called Jeems Philips. He was the 
champion speller of Indiana. Al- 
though John could not claim to be 


JoHN^s Friends, Frank and QuincV. 53 

the champion speller of the great 
State of Ohio, yet in his best days he 
had few superiors in the Miami 
Valley. Even to this day he gets 
righteously angry when he sees a 
word in print that is wrongly spelled. 

But I must tell you more about' 
the good traits of John’s friend, 
Frank Willis. He was a born 
genius. His natural wit was indeed 
marvelous. He was the most 
charming conversationalist I ever 
met He could talk intelligently on 
an immense variety of subjects. In 
law he was the superior of the ma- 
majority of those admitted to the bar. 
In theology not many ministers 
surpassed him. He was a good his- 


54 


John Crow. 


torian. He was a grand grammarian. 
He was a fascinating reader. 

The friendship of Frank and John 
was like unto that of David and 
Johnathan in Bible times. When 
the enemies of Frank Willis would 
shoot their poisonous darts at his 
heart, John was ever ready to place 
his body between that heart and 
those darts. Many and many a kind 
deed did Frank do for John. Shall 
not their friendship for each other go 
on and on forever ? 

In the days of their young man- 
hood they would sit side by side in 
the Sunday-school and church ser- 
vice. In the literary society they 
would put their heads together and 


John’s Friends, Frank and Quincy. 55 

make plans for the uplifting of the 
community. In the holding of Ora- 
torical contests, John would an- 
nounce the names of the declaimers, 
whilst Frank and Quincy would act 
as judges 

On social questions their minds 
ran in parallel lines. Many and 
many a jolly laugh have these three 
boys had together. For several 
years John Crow and Quincy Con- 
over were together at Wittenberg 
College. 

Quincy was called, “ The wit of 
Wittenberg.” When vacation 
would come they were faithful call- 
ers every Sunday evening on two 
ladies living in the same village 


56 


John Crow. 


Judging from results, it seemed as if 
the entire week had been spent in 
studying up something funny. Far 
into the night the social sparks 
would fly like those from a hickory 
log heap in the chimney corner. 

When Quincy Conover was mar- 
ried, John and his girl stood by him, 
doing what they could to keep his 
nerves steady At the supper table 
Quincy made the remark, “ that on 
such an occasion, he wouldn’t in- 
dulge in common food, but would 
satisfy his appetite with wedding 
cake.” The years have flown 
swiftly by, and whilst I write, Quincy 
Conover has a boy of his own grown 
to manhood attending college. 


John’s Friends, Frank and Quincy. 57 

Frank Willis seems to be a con- 
firmed bachelor. As of old he is full 
of jolly jokes and sly wit. Recently 
he went to hear a lecturer who had 
for his subject, “ Two are better 
than one.” As might be expected, 
all the old bachelors were earnestly 
advised to get married. At the close 
of the lecture, two maidens, who 
were not so very young any more, 
had the following episode: Said one 
of them, “Now Frank, you are the 
oldest of all of us, and it is high time 
that you follow the advice you have 
just heard about getting married.” 
The other girl joined in, saying, 
“Now for once do as the preacher 
told you to do.” “ Well, now seri- 


58 


John Crow. 


ously, girls,” said Frank, “ as the 
lecturer declares two are better than 
one. I’ll take both of you ” Then 
the girls fled, fearing they had said 
something they had better left un- 
said. And even Frank was not sure 
whether he had said anything out of 
the way or not. 

At another time Frank Willis was 
attending a Farmers’ Institute. A 
lady essayist read a most excellent 
article on “ Cruelty to Animals.” 
During the general discussion that 
followed, Frank said he liked the 
essay very much, with one excep- 
tion, viz , the lady had not one word 
to say against the cruelty to old 
bachelors. He had the sympathy 


John’s Friends, FRANk and Quincy. 59 

of the entire audience until the 
essayist said, “ I didn’t want to 
class you with the other poor, 
dumb animals.” The roar which 
followed ended all further discussion 
of the subject. 

Quincy Conover led a life of use- 
fulness in his native neighborhood. 
For over fifty years he has resided 
within a few rods of the spot where 
he was born. There comes to us a 
sweet satisfaction when our own 
community appreciates the efforts 
we put forth to do good. The boys 
with whom Quincy had gone to 
school would again and again elect 
him as school director. Several 
times was he elected by the Town- 


6o 


John Crow. 


ship School Board as its President. 
In deciding questions of public con- 
cern he was prudent and impartial. 
He took an active interest in educa- 
tional affairs. He was frequently 
elected Township Trustee. He was 
kind to the poor ; and many a hun- 
gry man did he make happy. As 
President of the Farmers’ Institute, 
and also of the Agricultural Fair, he 
gave extensive advancement to the 
farmer’s interest. He was fond of 
fine horses and cattle and sheep. It 
was a great pleasure to him to see 
his flocks and herds and droves of 
horses roam over his native hills. 
He would talk to his horses almost as 
would to his own children It 


John’s Friends, Frank and Quincy. 6i 

seemed as if he realized a higher de- 
gree of intelligence in a fine horse 
than other people did. He delighted 
in driving a fast sprinter. It is said 
he was the owner of a horse that 
traveled a quarter of a mile at a 2.01 
gait. 

Many a drive did Quincy Conover 
and John Crow take together. 
They were jolly, genial companions. 
Their flow of wit would bring 
many a peal of laughter. The 
difference in their ages was only a 
few months. Their dispositions 
were as nearly alike as their ages. 
As the years go by, their friendship 
for each other grows stronger and 
stronger. May eternal companion- 
ship be theirs to enjoy. 


CHAPTER VII. 


JOHN AND THE ORATORS. 

One object in the writing of this 
book is the promotion of genuine 
eloquence. The art of oratory adds 
more to the sum of human happi- 
ness than all other arts. The most 
pleasurable sensation that can pass 
through the human mind is brought 
about by the proper use of the 
human voice From the days of 
Demosthenes to the days of Henry 
Clay, the people have paid the high- 
est praise to true eloquence. The 
swaying of an audience with the 
tip of the tongue is a most mar- 


62 


John and the Orators. 63 

velous and momentous accomplish- 
ment. The millions upon millions 
of .people who have been brought 
into God’s kingdom have been 
persuaded to start in the Chris- 
tian life by the right use of the 
human voice It is the glory of 
our land that it is the land of ora- 
tors. Here free speech has full 
sway. Almost as soon as the child 
can talk it is encouraged to declaim. 
When the mother says to her boy, 
“ Now get up and speak your 
piece,” she is sowing the seed that 
shall bring forth a harvest which 
will feed with joy the audiences of 
the future. As that boy takes an 
active part in the school exhibitions, 


64 


John Crow. 


he is preparing his brow to wear 
the laurels ol Webster and Clay, 
Lincoln and Garfield, Beecher, Tal- 
mage, and John B. Gough. Read- 
er, it is of more real benefit to you 
to sit at the feet of these great or- 
ators and study elocution than to 
win millions of wealth. Learn to 
speak distinctly, and give the sense 
and the understanding, and you will 
find it an easy matter to climb up 
the ladder of fame. Did it pay 
Demosthenes to put pebbles in his 
mouth and talk until he got rid of 
the impediment in his speech? Ask 
the hundreds of millions who for 
thousands of years have spoken of 
him as the orator of the ages. The 


John and the Orators. 65 

boy who can talk plainly with stones 
in his mouth, can make himself 
heard above the rage of ocean 
wave. In the art of elocution is 
found the secret of success in al- 
most every sphere of life. Christ 
knew how to use his tongue, there- 
fore the multitude said of Him, 
“ Never man spake as this man. ” 
The reason the common people 
heard Him so gladly was because 
He knew how to use His voice. 

But we must introduce you to 
some of John Crow’s experiences 
among the orators. Whilst he was 
attending Wittenberg College, at 
Springfield, Ohio, the city was fav- 
ored by speeches from some of the 


66 John Crow. 

best orators in the world. One of 
the most eloquent women to whom 
he ever listened was Olive Logan. 
I do not think that anything in the 
art of oratory ever surpassed her 
description of the “Beautiful Girl.” 
She painted the word pictures with 
such wonderful fascination that the 
effect was overwhelming. The first 
picture was a representation of this 
beautiful girl as she came from the 
hand of God, an innocent babe. 
Then she followed her through her 
childhood and girlhood, in the home, 
in the school, in society. With 
withering scorn she showed how 
the moral leper first blighted her 
beauty, by the pressure of his im- 


John and the Orators. 


67 


pure lips on her fair cheek. With 
delicate touches she followed her as 
she went down, down, down, into 
the depths of degradation and de- 
spair. At last we find her dying in 
the filth and the slime of the street. 
The last words that escaped her 
lips were, ‘‘Beauty has been my 
curse, beauty has been my curse.” 

By this time the audience was 
worked up to the highest pitch. Ol- 
ive Logan stood there pressing her 
kerchief to her eyes Amidst the 
deathly silence that followed, it 
seemed as it the vast crowd held 
its breath. Then there was a con- 
tagion of tears and sobs and wild 
fluttering of handkerchiefs every- 


68 


John Crow. 


where. The roar of applause that 
followed was like the thunder that 
follows the sheeted lightning. That 
was the evening on which Olive 
Logan crowned herselt the queen of 
eloquence. 

John Crow heard Henry Ward 
Beecher lecture twice. His address- 
es were on “Manhood and Money,” 
and “Compulsory Education.” On 
the first evening John went early in 
order that he might get a good seat. 
The lecture was to begin at 8 
o’clock, p. M. The audience was 
large and expecting a great and 
thrilling oratorical feast. It was in 
Tike’s Opera House, in Cincinnati. 
This city has for fifty years held 


John and the Orators. 


69 


Henry Ward Beecher in high es- 
teem, for it was here that he studied 
theology under his father, who was 
a great, grand man. In fact I think 
he was the father of more brains 
than any man the world has yet 
produced. His noble boy, Henry 
Ward, inherited the gift of oratory 
from his father. But we must re- 
turn to the evening when John 
Crow first heard the lecture on 
“Manhood and Money,” by Beech- 
er. When the time arrived for the 
lecture to begin, the great crowd 
awaited with eager eyes the appear- 
ance of the orator. But they were 
doomed to disappointment. At 
eight o’clock the announcement was 


70 


John Crow. 


made that they would have to wait 
a little while as the speaker had not 
arrived yet. At nine o’clock the mes- 
sage was given out that Beecher 
was coming as fast as he possibly 
could, and would soon be there. 
It was almost ten o’clock and yet no 
Beecher. Such a weary, worried, 
worn-out multitude John Crow had 
never seen before. Just as the clock 
was striking ten, Mr. Beecher came 
prancing on the stage and thus be- 
gan, “If ever there was a day when 
a long freight train was standing 
in the way of a passenger train, it 
was to-day. If ever trains missed 
their connection, it was to-day. If 
ever a switch was out of place, it 


John AND THE Orators. 71 

was to-day. If ever a train and a 
speaker were- behind time, it was 
to-day.” 

His comical way of saying these 
words cannot be put into print. 
But he had his audience roaring in 
about five minutes. They soon for- 
got that they had been waiting 
three hours. It is doubtful whether 
Mr. Beecher ever had his equal as 
an orator. The impression he made 
was certainly not so much in what 
he said, as in the way he said it. 

During the Rebellion the English 
government favored the Southern 
Confederacy. It was the marvel- 
ous eloquence of Henry Ward 
Beecher that turned the tide of 


72 


John Crow. 


public opinion in Great Britain in 
favor of the North. This govern- 
ment never paid him the debt it 
owed him. His thunderous blows 
against slavery were like bolts 
hurled from the throne of God. 

But the ideal orator that John 
Crow would again and again pay a 
dollar for the privilege of hearing 
was John B. Gough. He was the 
one matchless man in mimicry. In- 
side of five minutes he could make 
his audience laugh and cry. 

Here are a few of the gems from 
Gough’s lecture on “Circumstanc- 
es,” with which John Crow was de- 
lighted. “The poorest man in all 
the world is he who has nothing 


John and the Orators. 


73 


but money. Never condemn any 
one until you know all the circum- 
stances which govern his conduct.” 

Out of the depths of delirium tre- 
mens, Gough had come up into a 
sober life. His graphic portrayal of 
the sorrows and heartaches of the 
drunkard’s home was enough to 
make the dernons of despair wail 
with woe. He said, “If the sobering 
off would come first, and the drunk 
would come afterwards, there would 
be very few drunkards ” 

That was a glorious day for the 
cause of total abstinence when the 
deacon tapped John B Gough on 
the shoulder and said, “Please sir, 
won’t you sign the pledge.^” It 


74 


John Crow. 


gave to the world the most eloquent 
champion that the temperance cause 
has ever had. 

Another orator of wonderful pow- 
er, to whom John Crow listened 
with intense interest, was Talmage, 
the great preacher. At Lakeside 
camp ground, John heard this inim- 
itable orator twice.. The striking 
originality of what he says amply 
atones for the harsh, grating tones 
of his voice. And yet that voice at- 
tracts you at once. It has wonder- 
ful penetrating power. John was 
amused when a number of persons 
who came after the sermon had be- 
gun were crowding forward, and 
Talmage yelled, “ Stay back ! stay 


John and the Orators. 


75 


back ! I’ll make you hear. ” They 
were convinced that he could be 
heard a mile away. He began his 
sermon with these words, “ Moses 
was dead ! A beautiful tradition 
says that God kissed him ; and in 
kissing the dying lawgiver He drew 
his breath from him. ” 

But it is especially through the 
printing press that Talmage reaches 
millions where his voice reaches 
thousands. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


JOHN crow’s experiences. 

Into the lives of all men there 
come experiences that seem strange- 
ly startling. When John Crow was 
seventeen years old, he witnessed 
the sudden death of a near neighbor. 
John and his father, and a Mr. 
Stouffer, were hauling saw-logs for 
the building of a church. It was on 
a rainy morning. Twice, as the log 
was rolled up, the skid slipped off 
the wheel. A chain, with a saple 
at the end of it, was wrapped around 
the center of the log. The staple 
was driven into the log, and two 
76 


John Crow’s Experiences. 77 

horses hitched to the other end of the 
chain. John’s father was driving the 
horses. Mr. Stouffer took an axe 
and followed up the log, intending 
to put the edge of the ax in the skid 
to keep the log from rolling back. 
Just as the log was almost on the 
wagon, the staple at the end of the 
chain flew out, and the log came 
back with terrific force, crushing in 
the breast of Mr. Stouffer. He lived 
only about ten minutes. Such a 
sudden, shocking death, cannot be 
forgotten soon. It made a lasting 
impression on the mind of John 
Crow. He resolved to consecrate 
himself anew to God. He saw, as 
he had never seen before, the neces- 


78 


John Crow. 


sity of being ready for death at all 
times. We may be ushered into 
eternity without a moment’s notice. 
But to the true Christian it matters 
but little in what form the end comes. 
Death only opens the gates to great- 
er gladness. Why should a true 
Christian shrink from getting free 
from care and sorrow and pain ? 
What wonderful visions of beauty 
and joy and glory open up to us as 
we read the last chapters of the Bi- 
ble ! 

But from the very moment of our 
conversion, should be^in this life of 
rejoicing. God teaches us that we 
are to rejoice evermore. Let us 
keep in mind continually the consol- 


John Crow’s Experiences. 


79 


ing words of the twenty-third Psalm, 
“ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall 
not want. He maketh me to lie 
down in green pastures, He leadeth 
me beside the still waters. My cup 
runneth over.’’ The most convinc- 
ing proof of the superiority of the 
Christian religion is, that it makes 
people happy; happy in body, and 
mind, and soul. 

During the last year that John 
Crow attended Wittenberg College, 
one of his classmates* passed over 
into the heavenly land. Slowly but 
surely did the devouring disease, 
consumption, do its deadly work. 
He was the son of the man whose 
sudden death I have just described 


8o 


John Crow. 


Great was the contrast between the 
two deaths. Several months before 
young Mr. StoufFer passed away he 
requested John Crow to hold a 
prayer-meeting at his house. The 
scene was truly a touching one. 
Around the bedside of the pale, 
wasted form, were gathered the near 
neighbors and school-mates of the 
sick man. Hymn after hymn as- 
cended heavenward. Prayer after 
prayer went to the throne of God. 
Consoling pa'ssages of scripture were 
read. Comforting words were spok- 
en to cheer the afflicted. Brother 
Stouffer also told of his brilliant hope 
of Hearen. He said, “In such an 
hour as this, let the body go. The 


John Crow’s Experiences 


8i 


body is nothing, but the soul is 
everything.” It was a scene in 
which it seemed as if the very an- 
gels of God were hovering in the 
room. He had intended devoting 
his life to the ministry. He did not 
live to preach, but he left three thou- 
sand dollars to be used to educate 
others for the ministry. This money 
being used for so noble a purpose, it 
can be truly said of him, “ He being 
dead, yet speaketh.” Far away in 
the future can we see his money 
sending men into the ministry. The 
interest of this amount may in the 
next hundred years help to educate 
a score of talented young. men to 
preach. The good deeds that we 


82 


John Crow. 


do Start streams of gladness on the 
parched deserts of earth, that will 
empty their blessings in the ocean of 
eternity. We are to sow the seed; 
God will take care of the harvest 

John Crow’s father paid the bills 
of his college course for the first two 
years. Then he said, “Now then, 
John, if you want any more ot an ed- 
ucation, you must get your money 
from some other source.” The 
quick reply came, “ All right. I’ll 
teach school and earn my own way 
through.” 

The necessary certificate was ob- 
tained. He applied for a school 
near his own home. One of the di- 
rectors said to him, “I always am in 


John Crow’s Experiences. 83 

favor of encouraging home talent. 
You shall have the school.” 

It may have seemed but a little 
thing for the man to say, but it 
shone like a mountain of gold in the 
noon-day sun, in the eyes of John 
When Christ said, “A prophet is not 
without honor save in his own coun- 
try,” He meant it as a most scathing 
rebuke upon the hypocritical Phari- 
sees who rejected Him. When a 
man does his duty in his native 
neighborhood, he deserves just as 
much encouragement as he does 
away from home. Why should a 
man be put to the expense of going 
away hundreds of miles to get a 
start in life ? The good common 


84 


John Crow. 


sense of a Christian community 
ought to encourage home talent in 
business, and teaching, and preach- 
ing. 

John Crow had started in his life 
career with the earnest determina- 
tion to make a success out of any- 
thing he undertook to do. If he 
could not climb over the mountains 
of difficulty in the way, he would 
tunnel through the mountains. Dur- 
ing his second year of teaching his 
wages were increased to fifty-three 
dollars a month. But he saw that 
he could make money much faster 
by taking an agency for a sewing 
machine Into this business he 
plunged with a great deal of enthu- 


John Crow’s Experiences. 85 

siasm, during the summer vacation. 
His profits amounted to about two 
hundred dollars in two months. In 
this work he did not forget to plead 
with God for His blessing. As he 
pushed his work he would say, 
“ Now Lord, if thou wilt help me to 
be successful, I will spend this mon- 
ey to the glory of thy name.” One 
of the best business bargains a man 
can make is something similar to 
that which Jncob made when “ he 
vowed a vow, saying, If God will 
be with me, and will keep me in this 
way that I go, and will give me 
bread to eat and raiment to put on, 
then shall the Lord be my God: 
and of all that thou shalt give me 


86 


John Crow. 


I will surely give the tenth unto 
thee.” As God was with Jacob even 
to the end of life, so is He ever 
ready to help those who put their 
trust in Him. In the experience of 
John Crow this truth was verified. 
For five years of his college course 
he succeeded each summer vacation 
in earning enough money to support 
him at school the rest of the year. 
Similar pluck and energy will bring 
swift success to many another young 
man. There must be a determina- 
tion never to sit down with a tear 
or a frown on the face. Victory 
comes to those who laugh at the 
storms they meet. 


CHAPTER IX. 


JOHN CROW AND THE CHILDREN. 

Who has not been tickled by the 
funny sayings of a child ? The un- 
conscious wit of the little toddlers 
brings many a laugh to the care- 
worn face. Their cute sayings have 
brightened many a page. And yet 
how difficult it is to put into print 
the full force of their cuteness. The 
magic charm found in the laugh of 
a child cannot be put into a book. 
The mischief of Topsy had to be 
seen and heard to be fully realized. 

Shortly after John Crow had en- 
tered the ministry he called on a 

87 


John Crow. 


lawyer with whom he was intimate- 
ly acquainted. They were eagerly 
talking about political matters, when 
a four year old nephew of the law- 
yer came up behind them. Not 
wishing to make a break in their 
talk^ they paid no attention to the 
little fellow. Suddenly he turned on 
his heel, and ran to the other side of 
the house, and said, “ Aunty, I’ll bet 
you God will punish that preacher, 
for he never said howdy doo to me.” 
Of course the joke on Mr. Crow was 
too good to keep. But it was a les- 
son on sociability that he never for- 
got. He drew the conclusion that 
it was a dreadful mistake to ignore 
the children under any circumstanc- 


John Crow and the Chiedren. 89 

es. After that he proved by his ac- 
tions what he felt in his heart, a 
special friendliness for the children. 
Many a jolly time did he have romp- 
ing with the little ones. Their strik- 
ing sayings were a continual source 
of merry amusement to him. 

Once at a wedding a little fellow 
turned a rich joke on Mr. Crow. 
After the ceremony had been per- 
formed, and the congratulations had 
been offered by the company, the 
boy said, ‘‘ Mr. Crow, don’t you wish 
it would have been you that’s mar- 
ried to Aunty ? ” Like a storm that 
follows a dead calm, the applause 
shook the house. John told the boy 
to call at his room the next day and 
he would pay him for his wit. 


90 


John Crow. 


In John Crow’s efforts to do good 
among the children, he had all man- 
ner of funny experiences. One day 
he called on a family where he found 
a boy just chock full of talk. He 
said to him, “ Now, sonn}*, if your 
mamma and papa would bring you 
to church would you be good ? ” 
“ I guess I would if I had the time; 
but I haven’t the time to be real 
good,” was the boy’s reply. Then 
the pastor said, “Well now, if your 
parents would have you baptized ? ” 
“ Baptized ! what is that ? ” said the 
boy, his eyes big with wonder Then 
Mr. Crow had to explain to him that 
he would put his hand in a bowl of 
water, and sprinkle it on the boy’s 


John Crow and the Children. 91 

head three times But the boy re- 
membering how his mother did 
when she washed him, said, “ And 
would you use any soap ? ” 

It requires an immense amount of 
patience to train these little ones in 
the way that leads from earth to 
heaven. But then it pays to tell 
them how Jesus used to put his 
hands on the heads of little children 
and say, “ Suffer them to come unto 
me, for of such is the kingdom of 
heaven.” When God plucks one of 
these blossoms out of a family, how 
vast the vacancy ! How the heart 
aches as we read the tenderly touch- 
ing story of the death of little Nell, 
written by Charles Dickens. And 


92 


John Crow. 


yet what a grand truth he gives us 
in these words: “ For every fragile 
flower, thus early cut down, an hun- 
dred virtues rise, in the shape of 
charity and love and mercy to walk 
this earth and bless it ” 

In John Crow’s work as a pastor 
he was often called on to speak 
words of consolation to those who 
had said the last goodbye to their 
little ones. One of the most touch- 
ing of such scenes that his eyes ever 
witnessed was that of a little girl 
who in her dying moments repeated 
the twenty-third Psalm. It seemed 
in reality that the Lord was her 
Shepherd, making her to lie down in 
green pastures, and leading her be- 


John Crow and the Children. 


93 


side the still waters ol life. One 
could almost see the soul roaming 
through the infinite meadows of 
heaven. We gaze at the beautiful 
stars, and they seem like the spark- 
ling eyes of the little ones who have 
gone to the heavenly land. What a 
heart-breaking trial it is for loving 
parents to see the bodies of their 
children laid away in the grave ! 
Mr. Crow once preached the funeral 
of a little boy whose heart-strings 
seemed fastened with links of steel 
to the parents. It was with difficul- 
ty that the mother was kept from 
throwing herself into the open grave 
of her boy. In the cellar of her 
home she preserved for years a foot- 


94 


John Crow 


print that the boy had made shortly 
before he died. But when God 
takes these little ones to Himself, let 
us no longer think of them as being 
in the dark grave. Let us rather 
think of them as having the capacity 
of soaring through the endless 
realms of light When John Crow 
was a mere boy yet, his sister about 
four years old, was taken away to 
dwell with the angels. She was re- 
markably bright and had memorized 
a number of hymns. Often would 
she sit on her rocking chair and sing 
these words : 

“ There is a happy land, 

Far, far away, 

Where the saints in glory stand. 
Bright, bright as day. 


John Crow and the Children. 


95 


Oh how they sweetly sing, 
Worthy is our Savior King, 
Loud let his praises ring. 
Forever more. 

Come to that happy land. 

Come, come away. 

Why will you doubting stand ; 

Why still delay ? 

There we shall happy be. 

When from sin and sorrow free. 
Lord we shall reign with Thee, 
Reign evermore. 


CHAPTER X. 


SMILES AND TEARS. 

Among the readers of books there 
are many different dispositions. 
Some love that only which is solid 
and solemn, whilst others are say- 
ing, “Give us something funny.” 
Also the same person has different 
moods. Sometimes in the morning 
the mind is full of gloom, and bt-fore 
night comes all the clouds are swept 
away. It is said that “ variety is the 
spice of life.” So we find the life of 
John Crow made up of thorns and 
flowers, tears and smiles. In his 

96 


Smiles and Tears. 


97 


pastoral work one day he came 
across a boy who was exceedingly 
full of talk. Mr. Crow said to him, 
“ Bo}', what are you going to be 
when you grow to be a man ? ” 
The reply was, “ Well, I had thought 
I would be a sailor, but I am afraid 
the ship might sink.” 

Then Mr. Crow, putting his hand 
on the boy’s head, said, “ You have 
a high, broad forehead, I believe you 
would make a good preacher.” 

The boy’s reply was, “Oh pshaw! 
I would run out of wind.” 

There is considerable philosophy 
in this sample of juvenile wit. One 
of the essential things for a success- 
lul preacher is the blessing of good 


98 


John Crow. 


lungs. Deep breathing in the sun- 
shine ought to be practised by 
everyone from childhood to old age. 
This is the way to expand the lungs, 
and purify the blood. It is the 
preacher with a strong body who 
finds his work a continual delight. 
In the qualifications given in the 
Bible for the selection of priests, 
their bodies were to be without 
blemish. 

In the experience of almost every 
minister there come times when his 
self-command is put to the severest 
test. A very exciting scene took 
place at a Christmas entertainment 
in the church where John Crow was 
pastor. Great and grand prepara- 


Smii,ks and Tears. 


99 


tions had been made. A large ever- 
green tree had been placed in the 
church Beautiful decorations 
graced the tree. Costly presents 
were hung upon it in abundance. 
Artificial birds were swinging in 
the branches. Elephants and other 
animals that artistic hands had made 
were placed on a table. Reports of 
these elaborate decorations had gone 
far and wide. The sleigh riding was 
exceedingly good. A n immense 
congregation gathered to witness 
^ the exercises. The church was 
crowded to its utmost capacity, and 
yet there were at least one hundred 
people outside in the cold determin- 
ed to get in. Those near the door 


lOO 


John Crow. 


were pressing up towards the tree. 
Mr. Crow begged of them to keep 
back. Suddenly there was a crash 
that sounded like the crack of a pis- 
tol. Then there was a terrible rush 
for doors and windows. The noise 
was bewildering. Chaos reigned su- 
preme. Children were crying, 
women were screaming with terror. 

It was feared that the burning lamps 
and the red hot stoves would be up- 
set. Scores of the most frightened 
ones jumped out of the windows. 
About one hundred lights were i 
knocked out. Amidst the wild 
scene of confusion some one started 
the report that Mr Crow had been 
shot. This proved to be untrue. 


Smiles and Tears. ioi 

He was doing all in his power to get 
the people quiet. With the serious, 
was mixed up the ludicrous. One 
old lady was wringing her hands in 
awful agony and screaming, “The 
devil is here, the devil is here.” 

At length the excitement ended. 
No one was seriously hurt. It was 
ascertained that the cause of the 
crash was a broken support beneath 
the floor, which resulted in a sinkim: 
of about six inches. If the floor had 
gone to the bottom of the basement, 
a distance of about ten feet, the con- 
sequences would have been dreadful 
to contemplate. The probabilities 
are that a score of persons would 
have met with a horrible death. It 


102 


John Crow. 


seemed as if the strong hand of God 
kept the floor from going down any 
further. When the crash came, Mr. 
Crow gave himself fully into God’s 
care. He realized that whether his 
lot was life or death, all was well 
with his soul. If we could lift the 
veil that hides eternity from our 
view, how differently most of us 
would live. How little does it mat- 
ter as to whether we are rich or 
poor, if only we live to be good and 
to do good. Let us each day bring 
a smile into the face of some one. 
If we only knew the deep hunger of 
the heart for sympathy, for kindness, 
how thickly would we scatter the 
seeds of kindness across the path- 


Smii,es and Tears. 


103 


way of others. At a great Sunday- 
school convention John Crow heard 
the sweet singer, Philip Philips, sing 
the touching song called, “ Scatter- 
ing Seeds of Kindness.” It was a 
scene that could not well be forgot- 
ten. Those who have heard Philips 
sing, know the melting tenderness 
of his voice. Tongue cannot tell, 
pen cannot describe the pathos that 
he wovednto the following words: 

“ If we knew the baby fingers, 

Pressed against the window pane, 

Would be cold and stiff to-morrow. 

Never trouble us again ; 

Would the bright eyes of our darling, 

Catch the frown upon our brow ? 

Would the print of rosy fingers. 

Vex us then as they do now ? • 


104 


John Crow. 


Ah those little ice cold fingers, 

How they point our memories back, 
To the hasty words and actions, 

Strewn along our backward track. 
How those little hands remind us, 

As in snowy grace they lie. 

Not to scatter thorns, but roses. 

For our reaping bye and bye.” 

When Mr. Philips had finished 
the singing of these pathetic words, 
there were very few dry eyes in that 
audience of two thousand people. 
They realized that they dare not 
wait with their deeds of kindness 
until the loved one had gone beyond 
the reach of human sympathy. It 
was a bitter ihought for the rich 
man in hell to remember that on 


Smiles and Tears. 


105 


earth the dogs had much more sym- 
pathy for Lazarus than he had. We 
are taught in the Bible that the evi- 
dence of pure and undefiled religion 
is to be found in the visits of com- 
fort given to the fatherless and the 
widow. It is better to wipe away 
the tears of trouble than to have the 
name of being a selfish millionaire. 

Mr. Crow in many different ways 
proved his sympathy for the sick. 
For six weeks before his brother 
David died, he gave his gratuitous 
service in taking care of him. It 
was an experience that was sad, and 
yet joyous; tearful, and yet full of 
triumph. It was a marvelous proof' 
of the power of the Christian relig- 




io6 John Crow. 

ion to conquer the king of terrors. 
For months the fires of consumption 
burned away his vitality. Day by 
day he waited for the coming of the 
chariot. One evening at twilight he 
said, “John, sing something.’’ In 
tender tones these words were 
wafted on the balmy breeze: 

“ I’ll wait till Jesus comes, 

I’ll wait till Jesus comes, 

I’ll wait till Jesus comes, 

And He will take me home.” 

Then David with a happy smile 
shining on his face said, “ I wish He 
would come now.” 

Soon the pearly gates swung 
open and he saw the angels in white 
raiment. He said, “ If this is pass- 


Smiles and Tears. 


107 


ing away then it is pleasant to die. 
Oh how bright it is all around me ! 
I never saw it this light before.” 

Then he calmly gave good-bye to 
those around his bedside, speaking 
words of cheer to all. To his wife 
he said, “ Fannie, if in the provi- 
dence of God you should erect a 
tombstone tor me, please have in- 
scribed on it this epitaph: ‘ Christ is 
all, and in all. ’ ” Looking with the 
deepest tenderness at his brother, he 
said, “John, you have been very 
kind to take care of me for the last 
six weeks. I do not see how we 
could have managed to get along 
without you. May God bless you 
for all your kindness to me.” 


io8 


John Crow. 


As we listen to such words com- 
ing from one who is passing through 
the portals that separate this world 
from the next, it surely seems 
right to say, O death, where is 
thy sting.? O grave, where is thy 
victory?” We begin to realize 
what Paul meant when he said. 
Henceforth there is laid up for me 
a crown of righteousne.* s, which the 
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give 
me at that day; and not to me only, 
but to all those also that love his ap- 
pearing.” 


CHAPTER XI. 


JOHN CKOW, AND THE NEWSPAPERS 

Up to the third year of John 
Crow’s public ministry, he wrote 
very few words for the newspapers. 
Then there came a day when he re- 
ceived a new birth of power for the 
Press It was at the meeting of the 
Wittenberg Synod. For several 
years previous, the question of start- 
ing a wide-awake, progressive, and 
evangelistic church p;iper in Ohio 
had been agitated. Of course there 
was opposition. There always is to 
every good cause. But John Crow 


109 


John Crow. 


no 

was one ol' the fellows who just en- 
joyed a fight when he knew he was 
on the side of right, and was victori- 
ous. Paul, at the end of his success- 
ful career, says, “I have fought a 
good fight.” So, when the church 
paper question came to a climax at 
the Synod, Mr. Crow arose and 
waiting until the silence became op- 
pressive, said, “In the language of 
Patrick Henry, ‘We must fight, I 
repeat it, sir, we must fight.’ And 
the way I propose to fight this op- 
po ition is by pledging myself to se- 
cure tw’enty-five subscribers gratui- 
tously.” The fire of enthusiasm be- 
gan to blaze. As soon as the ap- 
plause subsided, voices were heard 


John Crow and the Newspapers. hi 

all over the house subscribing stock, 
and pledges given to secure subscrib- 
ers. The paper was called “ 1 he 
Evangelist.” From its very birth it 
was an earnest advocate of the rapid 
extension of God’s kingdom through 
evangelistic services. In a few 
months Mr, Crow had secured one 
hundred subscribers. He did this 
whilst holding Revival services in four 
different churches He realized that 
anyone who starts in the Christian life 
without fortifying that life with a 
Christian newspaper is at afearful dis- 
advantage. In fact such a paper 
should have a place in every family. 
If this is not done, the devil is sure to 
do his work with a pernicious paper. 


II2 


John Crow. 


And what does it av^ail to become 
Christians and then have the good 
seed choked out by the tares and 
thorns and deadly upas trees of bad 
literature? I have heard of a mother 
eagle that left her nest in the moun- 
tains in search of food for her little 
ones. For many weary miles she 
flew. At length seeing something 
moving in the prairie grass below, 
she swooped down upon it and 
grasped it in her talons. It was a 
serpent. As she soared away to her 
home in the mountains it thrust its 
poisonous fangs into her breast. 
Soon the poison took effect. She 
reached her nest only to die. But 
the serpent was still alive. Then 


John Crow and the Newspapers. 113 

with fiendish delight it thrust its 
deadly fangs into the very vitals of 
the four little eaglets. Dead mother, 
dead children. Oh, it seemed so 
cruel that some blind fate had per- 
mitted her to make the deadly mis- 
take of carrying a serpent instead of 
a fish. But I have seen a still more 
cruel thing done. It was when a 
human mother welcomed into her 
home the serpent of bad liteiature. 
When John Crow was teaching 
school, one of his scholars was a 
confirmed reader of blood and thun- 
der stories. He read of heroes who 
made their money easily and rapidly 
by robbery. And the marvelous 
thing about it was, these heroes 


John Crow. 


114 

would always go scot free. One 
evening as the shadows were gath- 
ering, he sent a bullet crashing 
through the body of a wealthy neigh- 
bor. But unlike the heroes of whom 
he had read, his doom was to go to 
the penitentiary at Columbus. 

It was Mr. Crow’s custom for a 
number of years to talk to the peo- 
ple on Sunday at church on religious 
reading. He would also show the 
evil etfects of pernicious papers. 
Many would subscribe for ‘‘ The 
Evangelist ” on the Sabbath. The 
better the day the better the deed. 
But his talk on Sunday would espe- 
cially prepare the way for his work 
during the week in that community. 


John Crow and the Newspapers. 


•5 


He had all manner of funny experi- 
ences in this work. One day while 
trudging over the Alleghany moun- 
tains he met a man who remarked, 
“Well, from what you told us last 
Sunday, I must either take your 
paper or be hung.” And he sub- 
scribed at once. 

At another time he had traveled 
on the railroad all night. As the 
train came into Canton, Ohio, the 
dawn was coming. As the passen- 
gers were waking up, the newsboy 
tried hard to sell his papers. As he 
approached a seedy old gentleman, 
the boy said, “Now,please,Mr , won’t 
you buy a paper ? ” The man rub- 
bing his eyes, said, “Wall, if there is 


ii6 


John Crow. 


anything miraculous in it, I’ll buy.’' 
This man was a type of a 1 irge class 
of people. The craving for the sen- 
sational has almost destroyed a de- 
sire for religious reading They 
want to gorge themselves on the 
“ miraculous ” in literature. But a 
better day is coming. We are in 
the very dawn of a new era in litera- 
ture. Through the efforts of John 
Crow, and thousands of others, the 
people are being persuaded to read 
that which is religious. Millions upon 
millions read Talmage’s sermons. 
What a vast multitude have read the 
religious novels, “ Pilgrim’s Prog- 
ress,” and “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin ? ” 
It is reported, three million copies of 


John Crow and the Newspapers. 


17 


Rev. Dr. Sheldon’s book, “ In His 
Steps,” have been sold. The essen- 
tial thing to make a Christian book 
sell well is, to put religion in the 
form of a fascinating story. Well, 
that was the style in which Jesus 
preached. It is said of him, “ With- 
out a parable He spake not unto 
them.” Why not learn a lesson 
from Him of whom it is said, “Never 
man spake as this man.” 

One day while John Crow was 
working in the office of “The Evan- 
gelist,” a big batch of a manuscript 
came in. He said to the editor, 
“What shall we do with this ? ” 'J he 
reply given was, “Salt it down, sir, 
salt it down, sir.” When the day 


John Crow 


ii8 

comes that all the dry stuff sent to 
Christian newspapers shall be salted 
down, it will be an easy matter to 
get subscribers. The people are un- 
der no obligation to tolerate twaddle. 
They want the book and the paper 
that have meat in them. A stupid 
style of literature might as well be 
strangled in its very birth, for the 
people won’t waste their time in 
reading it. As John Crow wrote for 
the papers, he did his utmost to cul- 
tivate a lively style. 

Sometimes the newsboys in their 
eager anxiety to sell their papers im- 
posed on Mr. Crow’s good nature. 
Once, a little black-eyed boy, with 
mischief protruding from every fea- 


John Crow and the Newspapers. 


19 


ture of his face, said, “Please now 
Mr., won’t you buy the last paper I’ve 
got ? Here you will find a full ac- 
count of the great rail road accident. 
It tells how many were wounded. 
It tells how many were killed. It 
tells how they died the most horrible 
deaths by being burned alive. It 
took place between Dayton and Cin- 
cinnati. Nothing like it has ever 
happened in the Miami Valley.” 
After such a flow of eloquence John 
Crow quickly pulled out his nickel 
and handed it to the boy. He 
searched that paper from top to bot- 
tom, from right to left for the great 
R. R. accident. Again and again he 
turned the paper from side to side. 


120 John Crow. 

but not one word did he find of any 
accident. Then with righteous in- 
dignation he hunted for the boy. 
Handing the paper to the boy he said, 
“ I wish you would find lor me that re 
port of the big rail road smash up. 
I can’t find one single word about 
it.” ‘‘ O, the way that was,” said 
the wicked bo}’, “a lot of people 
were standing under a rail road 
bridge, and the train did run over 
them, but it did not kill any of them.” 
Then Mr. Crow said, “ Boy, 
you may think you have done 
something smart, but I have a notion 
to tan your hide for lying to me.” 
But the boy had the nickel, and that 
was alt he cared for. 


John Crow and the Newspapers. 121 

The day is rapidly coming when 
the Christian newspaper shall take 
the place of the satanically secular. 
Down in the human heart there is a 
deep craving for something better 
and more pure than that upon which 
the people have been feeding. The 
great ambition of John Crow’s heart 
and brain was to provide a paper so 
full of life and spiritual honey that 
the people would eagerly grasp for 
it. The day is near at hand when 
Christian capitalists will put their 
millions into religious newspapers. 
A Chnstian literature is closely con- 
nected with the saving of souls. It 
sometimes reaches the heart when 
the* sermon fails. It was so with 


122 


John Crow. 


John Crow. When he was a mere 
boy yet, one day he read in “The Ob- 
server ” an article, entitled “God’s 
love for the world.” So deep were 
the impressions made that in a flow 
of tears he consecrated himself fully 
to God. After he had entered the 
ministry he realized more than ever 
the importance of having a Christian 
paper in every home. He succeeded 
in persuading many churches to re- 
port the number of Christian papers 
taken by the members. He found in 
looking over such statistics, that where 
the number of religious papers taken 
was small, there the activity of the 
church was at a low ebb. Great 
Christian zeal and work prevailed 


John Crow and the Newspapers. 123 

where a church paper found a place 
in every home. And one of the 
strongest reasons why Christian peo- 
ple are more active in the United 
States than any where else is on ac- 
count of the marvelous freedom of 
the religious press. Need we won- 
der, then, that John Crow ardently 
took hold of this mighty lever to 
turn the kingdoms of this world into 
the Kingdom of Christ ? And it 
will not be long until the Christian 
paper shall have completely crowded 
out the pernicious. God speed the 
day ! As a canvasser for religious 
papers Mr. Crow was successful. In 
a few years he sent in thousands of 
subscribers to ^‘The Evangelist,” 


124 


John Crow. 


mentioned in the first part of this 
chapter. No wonder that the pub- 
lisher of this paper wrote to him, 
“ Oh for a thousand John Crow’s to 
send us subscribers ! ” 


CHAPTER XII. 


MR. CROW AS A REVIVALIST. 

When God made this world He 
said, “While the earth remaineth, 
seedtime and harvest, and cold and 
heat, and summer and winter, and 
day and night shall not cease.’’ It 
is a very ignorant man who thinks 
this Scripture applies only to secular 
affairs. Look over the past history 
of the church and you can readily 
see that it has had its winter as well 
as its summer. The night has come, 
then also the day. The gloom and 
despair of the disciples during the 
death of Christ, was followed by the 


125 


26 


John Crow. 


rejoicing of the day of Pentecost. 
The rapture of that Revival has been 
echoing on down the ages to this 
day. And when the last sinner on 
earth shall be converted, then that 
rejoicing will still go on through all 
eternity. Do not the Scriptures say, 
“There shall be more joy in Heaven 
over one sinner that repenteth,” 
etc? When John Crow’s second 
birth took place he was cradled in a 
Revival. During his college course 
he had an active experience as a 
worker in revivals In his first pas- 
torate, lasting three years, the mem- 
bership of this Church was more than 
doubled by this Scriptural system. 


Mr. Crow as a Rrvivaust. 


127 


But it was in the autumn of 1877 
that he decided to consecrate him- 
self fully to evangelistic work. In 
that year he seemed to become a 
new man. His heart was all aglow 
with a mighty enthusiasm for God. 
An electric swiftness and vigor seem- 
ed to take possession of his feet. He 
trod the earth with the swing of a 
king. His rising sun grew big with 
promise of the winning of souls for 
God. He felt as if that was all he 
cared to live for. At the meeting of 
the Wittenberg Synod that year in 
Ohio, he was much encouraged in his 
work by the warm hand of sympa- 
thy from his brethren. What cheered 
him most of all, was a strong speech 


128 


John Crow. 


made by his theological teacher Dr. 
Sprecher, in favor of the work. The 
words he uttered are worthy of be- 
ing carved in pure gold. One sen- 
tence of that utterance burned itself 
into the very soul of John Crow. 
These are the words, “I have olten 
thought, if it were not for the re- 
sponsibility ot providing for the tem- 
poral wants of my family,! would 
like to spend all of my time in going 
through this world and telling every 
man and woman and child I met, 
how to live for God.” As the good 
old man uttered this speech with 
trembling voice, and the tears run- 
ning down his face, the effect - was 
marvelous. Then he warmly grasp- 


Mr. Crow as a Revivalist. 


129 


ed the hand of Mr. Crow and said, 
“God bless you in your work ” With 
these words ringing in his soul the 
young evangelist went forth with 
joy on his mission of mercy. 

In the town of Mt. Vernon for two 
months he went from house to house 
stirring up the people until salvation 
was the all-absorbing theme. His 
second meeting was started in the 
village of St. Louisville. Here he 
spent one month. From the very 
beginning the people came out in im- 
mense crowds. In their homes, and 
in the shops and stores, salvation was 
almost the only thing that was talked 
about. Far away into the night 
could be heard the echo of Christian 


130 


John Crow. 


song and prayer coming from happy 
homes. In a number of cases the 
entire family united with the church. 
It seemed as if all hindrances had 
been removed. They all felt the 
force of the Scripture, which says, 
“ Behold how good and how pleas- 
ant it is for brethren to dwell togeth- 
er in unity.’’ As a partial result of 
this meeting he received forty-nine 
persons into church fellowship Oth- 
ers were almost persuaded, but failed 
to make the final decision. There 
was one of this class whose final fate 
stirred up the soul of Mr. Crow to 
its deepest depths. She was a teach- 
er in the village school. She was 
laboring under the dreadful delusion 


Mr. Crow as a Revivalist. 


13 


that if God wanted to save her soul, 
it was not necessary that she should 
give the consent of her will. Night 
after night would she come to the 
meetings. As a rule she was the 
last one to leave the house Appeal 
upon appeal was made both publicly 
and privately by Mr. Crow. It 
seemed as if it could not be that she 
should linger any longer in the val- 
ley of indecision. But the meetings 
closed and she gave no sign of being 
saved. Years passed away. Con- 
sumption began doing its deadly 
work on her vital forces. The dying 
hour was drawing near. Her moth- 
er noticed a look of awful anguish 
on her face. Tenderly she said, 


32 


John Crow. 


“What is it you want, Florence ? ” 
“ Oh, Mother,” was the reply, “ I 
want salvation, but I feel that it is 
too late to get it. You taught me 
years ago that if God wanted to save 
my soul He would save me against 
my will. I have waited too long. 
Now my will is too weak to do any- 
thing. Oh how I would like to get 
to heaven, but 1 can’t find the way. 
Your wrong doctrine is to blame for 
my eternal torment.” The last 
words that rang through the house 
from the lips of the dying girl were 
these : “ Mother, I want salvation 
but it is too late.” The neighbors 
came in and found her with a wild 
stare of horror on her face. The 


Mr. Crow as a Revivai,ist. 


133 


death struggle ended with her hands 
clenched in the tangled masses of 
her heavy hair. 

Oh my dear reader if your soul is 
still unsaved, give yourself at once to 
Christ. Will you be one of the 
number of whom it shall be said at 
last, 

“ Too late, too late, shall be the cry, 
Jesus of Nazareth has passed by.” 

In the meetings held by Mr. Crow 
the manifestations of the Spirit’s 
power were overwhelming. There 
were times when the sobs of deep 
conviction could be heard all over 
the house. When the soul struggles 
out of the miry clay into the sweet 
sunlight of God’s love the change is 


134 


John Crow. 


wonderful. Nothing else would re- 
joice the soul of John Crow more 
than to see a saloon keeper come to 
Christ. He would make the fact es- 
pecially ^ emphatic, that Jesus was 
able 'to save unto the uttermost. 
Thus we find among the converts of 
his meetings the most abandoned 
drunkards and gamblers and liber- 
tines Did not Christ say to one of 
the worst prostitutes, “Go, sin no 
more ! ” For the encouragement of 
such, often would Mr. Crow sing, 

“I am the lowest of those that love Him, 

I am weakest of those who pray, 

But then the dear Savior has bidden, 

■ And He will not say me nay. 


Mr. Crow as a Revivaiist, 135 

I know I am weak and sinful, 

It comes to me more and more, 

But then the dear Savior has bidden, 

And I knock at the open door.” 

For several years John Crow lived 
with a converted saloon keeper. He 
was one of the most active Christian 
workers in that community. When 
the new church was built the most 
liberal giver was this man. He used 
to tell his experience in these words: 
“ I have been a wonderfully active 
agent for the devil, and now I want 
to be a thousand times more active 
in the cause of Christ I must make 
up for lost time.” If our faith-were 
only strong enough,- all ^ the- saloon 
keepers on the earth could be con- 


John Crow. 


136 

verted, if Christians would work hard 
enough for it. But I firmly believe 
we have entered upon a Revival that 
will usher into God’s kingdom mil- 
lions upon millions of souls. The 
glad day is coming soon when every 
brothel and saloon and gambling den 
shall be turned into a place of prayer. 
So strong was the faith of John Crow 
that God is going to do this, that he 
is requesting on every suitable occa- 
sion the sincere prayers of Christians 
for the immediate conversion of a 
brewer who is the owner of two 
hundred saloons. Oh what showers 
of blessing will come to the Miami 
Valley when those two hundred holes 
of hell shall be turned into happy 


Mr, Crow as a Revivai,ist. 


137 


homes ! God speed the day. The 
author of “John Crow” is also pre- 
paring material for a book on per- 
sonal purity, which he intends calling 
“ Albert Sand.” Most of the thrill- 
ing scenes take place in the Miami 
Valley. When once the earth is rid 
of the saloon and the brothel, there 
will come a time of prosperous peace 
such as we have never dreamed of. 
But the mightiest agency for the uah- 
ering in of that glad day, shall be 
revivals. The valley of dry bones 
shall soon be stirring with life. The 
sky is big with promiseof better things 
yet to be. Nations are to be born in 
a day. There is to be a new heaven 
and a new earth. 


^38 


John Crow. 


We hope the life of “John Crow” 
has done something to bring this 
about. That life is opening out into 
everwidening fields of gladness and 
usefulness May God use him at 
least fifty years yet in doing good. 

And now, as I dedicate this book to 
all my true friends, let its readers 
take this as a motto: “ I must do all 
the good I can on earth ; that is all 
I am here for ” I want to meet all 
of my readers in a better world. 

• J. W. Ryder. 





I 


» 

) 






4 





: 

1 ■' 


\ 



K 





• t ‘ 


# 





A 




\ ^ 





%• 


f 


% 





% 

A 


I 




• • 


r 


^ 


r>^ 


VvV* 










I 

' I / f 

m L. ^ 


« 

r 





f 




i 








\ 



<• 




» 

• f 


« 


t k 




V 




ft 


V 




M 









t 


• • • 

• > 


4 / 


k 


\\ 


I 


% 


i 


K 



$ 

I 


• . ^ 


4 

9 

1 






% 



I 

% 





0 


$ 


i % 


« 






V 


« 



> M 




? 


« 


1 









» 


« 



f , 



r 




9 , 


t 


* 



f 


✓ 

- • > ^ 

« 


|V 


« 






\ 


J 



• ^\' 










&-;v' 









